There has been a horrific discovery by the Arkansas State Police.
On Friday, December 16, 2022, police found the body of a 6-year-old child. The little boy's remains had been hidden underneath the floorboards in the hallway of the home.
Now the child's mother and her boyfriend have been charged in the murder. According to a police statement, they believe the child died of "injuries sustained in the home, possibly three months ago."
The incident is simply horrific. Sadly, the little boy was not the only one who seemingly sustained abuse in the home. A little girl was also reportedly found with severe injuries.
According to a police statement, the child had burns on her scalp. She has been removed from the home and is currently getting treatment in a Memphis hospital. Authorities say she's in stable physical condition.
According to the police statement, two people have been arrested in the murder of the little boy, as well as child abuse of the other child. The mother of both children, Ashley Roland, 28, has been arrested and faces multiple charges, including capital murder, endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of a corpse, and more. Her boyfriend, Nathan Bridges, 33, has also been charged.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help the grandmother of the deceased boy provide a proper burial. According to the page, the grandmother, Karen, had been trying to get custody of both children for at least a year. She had apparently been recently granted weekend visits and went to the home on Friday, where she discovered one of the children "malnourished" and covered with burns, according to the fundraising page.
Neighbors say they are incredibly shocked that something like this happened in their town.
Neighbor Glenda Farrell said, "Sometimes we'd see kids outside playing but they really kept to themselves. You'd see them coming and going but really nothing to be concerning." She added that the murder is "devastating."
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
